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Post by yyy on Sept 13, 2021 11:32:21 GMT
After the start we have had, the players we have and how we have played its hard to look at the table and spot 6 better teams/squads
Top 6 imo
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Post by ColonelMustard on Sept 13, 2021 11:46:37 GMT
A lot of new players/ young players in the team so far and in wider squad. This team should improve a lot over the course of the season. Even though its the championship and its unpredictable theres every chance we are going to have some great days and be right in the mix. Been a long time coming.
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Post by sensiblestokie on Sept 13, 2021 12:08:16 GMT
The amount of shite years we’ve had I’m not ashamed to say I’m getting a bit excited as to what we can do this year.
So much to look forward to on top of what’s happening currently, too. Tyrese to come back.
Fuck it, it’s time we went back up and we’re gonna do it 👏👏
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Post by sensiblestokie on Sept 13, 2021 12:09:38 GMT
Play offs have to be the minimum this season? Unrealistic. Yes, you’re right. With the squad we have and players to come back we should be aiming for top 2.
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Post by nigerianstokie on Sept 13, 2021 13:02:42 GMT
I feel I’m starting to move from hope to expectation. Am I right to be concerned? Yes Could have gone either way yesterday if we are honest. At last count we had shipped out 18 players in the window, not many teams can do that and survive. We were promised by John/Mon when we met them at the end of last season that it was imperative to bring players in at the correct age, MON referring to players either being over 30 or too young - we have not managed that - in fact, we have failed miserably. To be a top-half/play-off team, for me, we need a bit of worldy to come in at the centre of defence - bring the youngsters on, but age 26/27 not 30+ We need a bit of genuine quality/pace out wide, Arnie type character And we need a 20+ striker - we may get that with Campbell, but he was never a player who could last 90mins even when fit and it will take time for him to get up to speed - providing he does not do a Butland/Bojan. As ever being Stoke's most pessimistic supporter it is 13pts down, 37pts to go - that said there are 3 or 4 teams miles better than the rest and 3 or 4 teams who look like they may struggle at the bottom of the table and then not a great deal between the rest. We don't have a massive squad now, so we can't afford too many injuries to key players, but the players we do have are all capable of playing a part and I am confident we can maybe break into the top half this season, despite losing a lot of players and not really adding too much in the way of quality from the side that finished 14th last season - providing our 2 new central defenders stay fit Christ. I thought I was miserable but fuck me sideways, that’s something else entirely.
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Post by StatesideStokie on Sept 13, 2021 14:57:02 GMT
Why? We have two of the best attackers in the league to come back into the picture. An unknown quantity in Sima but who has big hopes about him. One of the best centre halves in the league. And two very capable ones alongside him who all ideally want to be PL players. The only issue is a DM. Bang on - Fulham aside, I’m not sure I would swap our current squad fior any other Championship squad given the choice. As you said, we’re lacking a true DM, and we’re short on options at right-back, but the play-offs should be our goal at an absolute minimum. There is absolutely nothing to stop this lot reaching the play offs.
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Post by iglugluk on Sept 13, 2021 15:07:19 GMT
Expectations always bring the very real potential for failure to meet said expectations. I guess it's down to the individual whether one finds that to be worrying or not 🤔😁😁
I'm going to try my best to keep my powder dry given what I've experienced supporting our beloved Stoke over the decades 🤞😉
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Post by Widget123 on Sept 14, 2021 13:01:06 GMT
Looking at the fixture list there are two big bottle necks which may well separate the teams from the middle upwards into playoff hopefuls and midtable mediocrity: December through Xmas obviously with the usual glut of seven games in four-ish weeks and then there is a run of seven league games between the 29th January and the 26th of February. Getting through those games with minimum injuries and collating a respectable points total will bring any team into the playoffs or solidify their position. Losing key players or drawing too many of those games will kill a promotion / playoff push for another season despite there being a bunch of games to play from March to the season end, the damage will already have been done. We just need to make sure we get through those periods then things will possibly look much more likely.
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Post by thischarmingmanc on Sept 14, 2021 13:27:16 GMT
I thought we had a squad of bang average/poor/useless footballers? I'd agree with you on your assessment, we should be in the playoffs this year, I even think we have an outside chance at auto-promotion too I just can't square how you like to run our players down so often, with what you expect them to achieve? The two don't add up. Play offs have to be the minimum this season?
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Post by bayernoatcake on Sept 14, 2021 13:40:27 GMT
I thought we had a squad of bang average/poor/useless footballers? I'd agree with you on your assessment, we should be in the playoffs this year, I even think we have an outside chance at auto-promotion too I just can't square how you like to run our players down so often, with what you expect them to achieve? The two don't add up. Play offs have to be the minimum this season? No we don't. We have one of the best young goalies in English football. 2 of the best centre halves in the league. A pool of good central midfielders (even if they are all different shades of the same sort of player). One of the best attacking midfielders in Powell in the league. And one of the best strikers in the league. I have high expectations of this set of players, if you see that as running them down then that's your perogative. There's a few I don't rate in the slightest - Batth, Allen and Brown. Smith is having a good run of form, we've seen he can do it before though. But other than that I think they're ok to some of the best in the league. EDIT - and Jordan Thompson, I genuinely forgot about him
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Post by dirtclod on Sept 14, 2021 15:45:26 GMT
Long season. Tough league. Hard slog. As soon as we lose to a mediocre team the inevitable leaping from windows, calls for MON to be fired, the Coates evicted etc. will begin.
Then we'll upset or outright smoke a leading team and people will start demanding promotion and a statue of Peter (Or his transfer dong) be erected at the stadium. Suggestions will be made for Delilah's to introduce a cocaine jello-shot to the menu. (Okay, that's mine)
Next a narrow defeat and it will be Defcon 3 again requiring a search for the ole "Mills Out" van and a painter. Kitson will get blamed again and this message board will resound with Sparky/Lambert/Jones/Rowett/ O-Neill dick-length comparisons and history re-writes. TP's name will come up again, feelings will be hurt and a bitter debate will ensue...for a week. Vile fans will celebrate every loss. (But nobody listens to those 12 idiots anyway...)
Then it all swings back the other way and a World of Twist concert scheduled in celebration with a healthy debate as to who should be the warm-up group. The ups and downs of being a Stoke supporter - it sure keeps things entertaining.
This pruning of the dead branches has made me feel more optimistic - this year has certainly been better by far. But I have my seatbelt firmly cinched down. Think I'm still in the "Hope" camp, hoping for a transfer to the "Expectations" Camp.
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Post by thischarmingmanc on Sept 14, 2021 15:51:32 GMT
Add Surridge whom you don't seem to rate and Sawyers who you lambasted for his performance on Saturday. I don't have the expectation you have, I have hope. I think it means I don't feel the same need to run our players down when they put in average performances. I thought we had a squad of bang average/poor/useless footballers? I'd agree with you on your assessment, we should be in the playoffs this year, I even think we have an outside chance at auto-promotion too I just can't square how you like to run our players down so often, with what you expect them to achieve? The two don't add up. No we don't. We have one of the best young goalies in English football. 2 of the best centre halves in the league. A pool of good central midfielders (even if they are all different shades of the same sort of player). One of the best attacking midfielders in Powell in the league. And one of the best strikers in the league. I have high expectations of this set of players, if you see that as running them down then that's your perogative. There's a few I don't rate in the slightest - Batth, Allen and Brown. Smith is having a good run of form, we've seen he can do it before though. But other than that I think they're ok to some of the best in the league. EDIT - and Jordan Thompson, I genuinely forgot about him
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Post by bayernoatcake on Sept 14, 2021 15:58:16 GMT
Add Surridge whom you don't seem to rate and Sawyers who you lambasted for his performance on Saturday. I don't have the expectation you have, I have hope. I think it means I don't feel the same need to run our players down when they put in average performances. No we don't. We have one of the best young goalies in English football. 2 of the best centre halves in the league. A pool of good central midfielders (even if they are all different shades of the same sort of player). One of the best attacking midfielders in Powell in the league. And one of the best strikers in the league. I have high expectations of this set of players, if you see that as running them down then that's your perogative. There's a few I don't rate in the slightest - Batth, Allen and Brown. Smith is having a good run of form, we've seen he can do it before though. But other than that I think they're ok to some of the best in the league. EDIT - and Jordan Thompson, I genuinely forgot about him I've literally said Surridge is ok. He was poor at the weekend and I don't think he's nearly as good as a lot of people seem to think but as an option from the bench he seems useful/ok. People seem to have an issue with that, I don't get why, being ok is fine. I like Sawyers, he's not suited for that role though and we need get him further up the pitch. One game doesn't make the opinion on him does it The weekend wasn't average.
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Post by peekay67 on Sept 14, 2021 16:34:37 GMT
If you are good enough you are old enough. We should manage top 6, but who knows? It's a strange league. We have a decent run now so two or three wins and confidence takes us forward.
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Post by christhepotter on Sept 14, 2021 16:46:17 GMT
Play offs have to be the minimum this season? Unrealistic. No it isn’t , the squad we have should piss it unless MoN starts shitting himself and goes all negative again
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Post by crouchpotato1 on Sept 14, 2021 17:32:51 GMT
No it isn’t , the squad we have should piss it unless MoN starts shitting himself and goes all negative again Welcome back 👏not like you to post something negative 🤣🤣He continues to prove you wrong I see so far🤔
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Post by tejstokie on Sept 14, 2021 17:41:03 GMT
If you are good enough you are old enough. We should manage top 6, but who knows? It's a strange league. We have a decent run now so two or three wins and confidence takes us forward. Injuries can keep us out of top 6 imo we can't afford another. We're on good form and have confidence and always are in each match but we really need to get healthy.
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Post by christhepotter on Sept 14, 2021 18:06:46 GMT
No it isn’t , the squad we have should piss it unless MoN starts shitting himself and goes all negative again Welcome back 👏not like you to post something negative 🤣🤣He continues to prove you wrong I see so far🤔 How’s he proving me wrong you dickhead when I’m saying we should easily get the playoffs 😂😂
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Post by crouchpotato1 on Sept 14, 2021 18:07:57 GMT
Welcome back 👏not like you to post something negative 🤣🤣He continues to prove you wrong I see so far🤔 How’s he proving me wrong you dickhead when I’m saying we should easily get the playoffs 😂😂 You wanted him sacked you tool
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Post by JoeinOz on Sept 14, 2021 20:50:41 GMT
No it isn’t , the squad we have should piss it unless MoN starts shitting himself and goes all negative again We can be competitive and have a good chance but saying we'll piss it is a bit much.
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Post by adamsson on Sept 14, 2021 20:54:40 GMT
We can go top when we win tomorrow
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Post by thischarmingmanc on Sept 14, 2021 20:58:31 GMT
The weekend wasn't average. A win against, a team that just won 3- 0 away from home and currently sit 4th in the table. Looks like we may have got a scrappy win against a fair to good team. That's at least average.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Sept 14, 2021 21:43:17 GMT
The weekend wasn't average. A win against, a team that just won 3- 0 away from home and currently sit 4th in the table. Looks like we may have got a scrappy win against a fair to good team. That's at least average. They beat a team that will do well to stay up. They and us both looked poor.
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Post by thischarmingmanc on Sept 14, 2021 21:47:56 GMT
And their three other wins? Only lost to us and fulham. Sometimes good teams cancel each other out and you get poor games. Doesn't mean that either is a poor team. I think Huddersfield are better than you give them credit for. A win against, a team that just won 3- 0 away from home and currently sit 4th in the table. Looks like we may have got a scrappy win against a fair to good team. That's at least average. They beat a team that will do well to stay up. They and us both looked poor.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Sept 14, 2021 21:49:55 GMT
And their three other wins? Only lost to us and fulham. Sometimes good teams cancel each other out and you get poor games. Doesn't mean that either is a poor team. I think Huddersfield are better than you give them credit for. They beat a team that will do well to stay up. They and us both looked poor. They just didn’t look good to me. Totally toothless. I know we did too but we have our best two attackers to come back in which is where my belief lies.
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Post by thischarmingmanc on Sept 14, 2021 21:53:13 GMT
I think a few teams will look toothless vrs our defence this year. And their three other wins? Only lost to us and fulham. Sometimes good teams cancel each other out and you get poor games. Doesn't mean that either is a poor team. I think Huddersfield are better than you give them credit for. They just didn’t look good to me. Totally toothless. I know we did too but we have our best two attackers to come back in which is where my belief lies.
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Post by iglugluk on Sept 18, 2021 17:32:11 GMT
Expectations always bring the very real potential for failure to meet said expectations. I guess it's down to the individual whether one finds that to be worrying or not 🤔😁😁 I'm going to try my best to keep my powder dry given what I've experienced supporting our beloved Stoke over the decades 🤞😉 Today's result is a good example
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Post by FullerMagic on Sept 18, 2021 17:47:29 GMT
The good news is today's results mean this league is looking just as hilariously chaotic and messed up as usual!
You've got to take your hat off to Derby for pulling out any kind of result today.
You have to be very good to be immune to the general madhouse of the Championship - and it's probably unfair to expect us to be there yet. But the good news is pretty much no-one else is either.
Hardly any really good teams and hardly any really bad teams this year - and Derby certainly aren't in the group of really bad ones.
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Post by premieraj on Sept 18, 2021 17:52:26 GMT
The good news is today's results mean this league is looking just as hilariously chaotic and messed up as usual! You've got to take your hat off to Derby for pulling out any kind of result today. You have to be very good to be immune to the general madhouse of the Championship - and it's probably unfair to expect us to be there yet. But the good news is pretty much no-one else is either. Hardly any really good teams and hardly any really bad teams this year - and Derby certainly aren't in the group of really bad ones. We just have to sort the DM role if Allen is injured I think we should play Thompson as all the others are 8s? And Allen is not perfect for Dm but the Best we have at the moment?
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Post by 19notbeaten72 on Sept 18, 2021 17:59:55 GMT
Big wake up call the last 2 games.
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